


Coldest Time Of Year

by leehwi



Series: One-Shots [1]
Category: 2PM (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, but also it's painfully awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9055258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leehwi/pseuds/leehwi
Summary: Nichkhun falls for his neighbor, Chansung, just in time for Christmas.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Christmas gift for @captainclint on tumblr, as a Secret Santa gift.  
> MERRY CHRISTMAS

The snow was coming down harder all across Seoul and the news reports were coming in that the roads were icy and dangerous, knowing that it was best to stay inside, Nichkhun had taken this opportunity to decorate his house for Christmas. He was always late for these sorts of things, Minjun had been nagging him for weeks about what he wanted for Christmas and he always just shrugged. Now realizing that the actually holiday was only a week away, he figured it’d be time to get some festive lights up in his home. He’d gotten a small tree at the start of December, but that was the extent of it, however now he was stringing lights up over every doorway.

Growing up in Thailand, Christmas wasn’t something he’d ever really celebrated, but there’d occasionally be some gift exchanging. After he moved to Korea, he’d found that he rather enjoyed the feeling of the holiday, but didn’t really agree with the “Christmas spirit” that everyone claimed filled the air. He’d befriended Minjun and quickly got introduced to many different traditions that Minjun participated in but wouldn’t necessarily have celebrated if it wasn’t for his boyfriend, Taecyeon. Taecyeon loved Christmas so much, he was practically Santa Claus himself. 

Nearing 9pm, Nichkhun had finally finished with his decorations, he sat back, hands on hips, quite pleased with himself. He went to the kitchen to turn on the tea kettle, deciding that he’d have some cocoa and settle down for a movie. Before he could even get to the remotes, there was a pounding on his door. He nearly jumped out of his skin, before carefully padding over to the door to peek through the small window. He could barely make out the face of Chansung, his neighbor.

He opened the door and gave the younger man a slight smile. “Hey, you okay?”

He and Chansung were friendly, but they’d never really hung out, as Chansung mostly kept to himself, which Nichkhun was just fine with. The man was just as handsome from afar as he was close up and Nichkhun was comfortable with the nods and waves they exchanged on the sidewalk. However right now, he looked strangely adorable. He was dressed in a not-warm-enough jacket and had his hands cupped around his nose, which was bright red from the cold. He had a hat pulled down to push his hair into his eyes and he was peering down through the dark strands at Nichkhun.

“Hi...” he said awkwardly. “Stupid moment. I locked myself out of my house and I was wondering if you had a ladder or I don’t know, maybe a baseball bat?”

Nichkhun’s eyes widened. “Not really. But...you’re not breaking into your own house. It’s cold, come inside,” he moved out of the way and sort of waved him in.

Bowing his head with a murmured thanks, Chansung stepped in, his wet boots leaving a cold puddle on the floor. Slightly frustrated now, Nichkhun tiptoed around it, wet socks were his least favorite thing. He watched his ‘guest’ as he took in the sight of the warm house, awkwardly frozen in the foyer. A light laugh and a sigh left Nichkhun’s mouth and he waved the tall man farther into his home.

He left his shoes at the door and carefully removed his poor winter coverings, upon Nichkhun’s request. Nichkhun was a friendly person and he beckoned Chansung through the kitchen to the living room. He motioned towards the couch. “Sit, please.”

“Cocoa?”

Chansung shook his head, with a small smirk. “No, thanks. I don’t do well with sweets.”

“Coffee, then?”

“I...could be tempted.”

Nichkhun laughed and told him to wait a minute, while he busied himself in the kitchen making coffee. Chansung was taller than he expected, for some reason, and he was a lot prettier too. A small chuckle escaped Nichkhun as he looked back at his neighbor, noticing the way he’d pulled his hands into his sweater sleeves and was rubbing his feet together to warm them.

As soon as the coffee was done, Nichkhun sat next to Chansung on the couch and they struck up light conversation. They didn’t actually know much about each other at all, so this was an enlightening moment for them both. Nichkhun explained his job at the news station to Chansung, narrowing it down to a mere “intern” and in turn, he learned a lot more about Chansung than he thought he ever would.

Apparently Chansung worked weekends at a “club, of sorts”, which Nichkhun immediately accepted as kinky, much to Chansung’s embarrassment, he was a bouncer there. He had a second job as well, as a substitute teacher for a preschool. Contrasting jobs, Nichkhun had commented, earning a light laugh from the younger. He’d never really expected Chansung to be so interesting, but listening to him talk now, he found it hard to look away. He was more expressive than he would’ve given him credit for, and he had a very mature masculine way about him, but his long lashes and full lips made him strikingly beautiful.

The more Chansung talked, the more engrossed Nichkhun became, or so he thought, before he jolted awake to a warm touch on his forehead. Chansung had apparently poked him awake.

“I am so sorry,” Nichkhun said earnestly, flushing red.

The talled man laughed heartily, “It’s okay, I can be fairly boring sometimes, but I didn’t think I was  _ that _ uninteresting.”

“You’re not! I just...I’m sorry, I don’t actually have any excuses,” Nichkhun mumbled, embarrassed now. “Can I make it up to you with a movie?”

Chansung shook his head, still amused. “It’s okay. My sister just texted me back, she’s got a spare key and is on her way.”

“Stay till then,” Nichkhun insisted, a little too quickly. “I mean, you can...if you want to.”

The smile that graced Chansung’s features was warm and Nichkhun’s heart skipped a beat. “Sure,” he replied.

They sat in comfortable silence until they saw lights flash outside the window, realizing that Chansung’s sister had finally come to his rescue. Chansung thanked him and they exchanged numbers finally, having lived next to each other for almost 7 months.

After he left, Nichkhun couldn’t help the grin that broke across his face. Chansung was much more charming than he had anticipated and the warm feeling in his chest was a little overwhelming as he settled back down to finish his cocoa. He found himself excited for when he’d see him next, which turned out to be the next morning.

It had snowed all through the night and the snow was piled high outside, covering the sidewalk in thick flakes that sort of froze into one giant layer of ice. Nichkhun pulled on his boots, grumbling under his breath about the “damn weather”, he put on his thickest coat and went in search of his shovel in his store closet. He couldn’t find the nice one that his dad had bought him, but he did find a small hand trowel, that he decided was better than nothing. He stepped out, prepared to get down and scrape at the snow, but was shocked to find that his sidewalk and porch were suddenly clear.

Chansung was farther down the block, with a heavy duty shovel and was clearing the way for the whole block, which was mostly elderly folk. If Nichkhun thought it was cold, those thoughts left him as he felt his entire body warm up at the sight of his handsome neighbor. There was no way that Chansung would be able to hear him from here, so he simply stepped back into his home and smiled to himself. He’d have to thank him later.

Plagued by thoughts of his tall neighbor made the rest of his week difficult, getting distracted at work and even when he went over to Minjun and Taecyeon’s on Christmas Eve night, he kept losing himself in his own thoughts, staring at their large Christmas tree that filled the apartment.

“Khunnie,” Taecyeon waved a hand in front of his face and he looked up at him, seemingly surprised to see him.

“Yeah?”

“Did you want some?” the larger man held up a glass of eggnog and bourbon and offered to him. Nichkhun couldn’t say no.

As he drank, he listened to Minjun recount his entire week to him, as the redhead bustled around his apartment kitchen, setting the table and dancing around Taecyeon, who was that night’s chosen cook. Nichkhun had always been slightly jealous of their relationship, they were not only both extremely attractive, but they moved perfectly in sync. Sure, they fought occasionally, but they always seemed to fall back into each other’s arms at the end of the day and there was never any question as to whom their hearts belonged to.

“Stew’s done,” Taecyeon called, loudly.

“We can both hear you just fine, without you shouting,” Minjun scolded, patting his boyfriend’s butt as he walked past.

Nichkhun laughed a bit and joined them at the table for dinner. They ate in silence for a bit, save compliments given to Taecyeon for his cooking skills, leaving him beaming. He had always been a little too proud when it came to his cooking. Eventually, Minjun broke the quiet with a question directed at Nichkhun. “Have you been interested in anyone recently?”

Nichkhun simply nodded in response. They had never kept things from each other, Minjun was his first friend in Korea and he’d remained his best friend ever since, it didn’t make sense to not be honest with him.

Taecyeon almost choked on his spoon and he stared at the Thai man. “Well? Who?” he practically demanded, ignoring Minjun’s shushing.

Thinking for a moment, Nichkhun shrugged and said, “No one you’d know.”

That set the rest of the evening off with Nichkhun passive aggressively blowing off Taecyeon’s interrogating, while Minjun rolled his eyes and cleaned up. He was surprisingly nonchalant about it all and Nichkhun would have been suspicious if he wasn’t busy trying not to hit Taecyeon.

“Minjun! Collar your hound!” he yelled into the kitchen.

Sighing, Minjun reentered the room. “Both of you knock it off. I trust Nichkhun to handle his lovelife on his own, you need to do the same,” he swatted at his boyfriend’s head with a hot pad and then fixed Nichkhun with a deadly serious glare. “Don’t let me down, Khun. Be smart.”

After being silently prodded by his best friend’s boyfriend for the rest of the night, even through their annual gift exchange, Nichkhun departed from the house with a loud “Happy Holidays!” before slamming the door and running to his car. The cold air nipped at his skin as he drove home, squinting to see through the snow on the road. The weather seemed to be worsening and Nichkhun groaned out loud as he had to pull to the side of the road, his tires losing traction on the slippery road and decided to wait it out.

“It’ll clear up,” he kept muttering to himself as he turned up the heat in the car. He pulled out his phone and connected it to the speakers, turning up the volume. BigBang’s new song, Last Dance was the first on his Melon shuffle and he reclined his seat. It was going to be a long wait, he might as well drown himself in the music.

Nearly an hour passed, as Nichkhun stared miserably out the window of his car, the snow thickening the air and making it nearly impossible to see the road. A small miserable hiccup rose in his chest and his mind swarmed with horrible thoughts of spending Christmas in his car on the highway. He kept replaying Last Dance, slowly sinking lower and lower into his seat, feeling his chest burn from the eggnog hiccups. This was why he never liked Holidays.

Another half hour passed, before he saw lights and perked up. It was an emergency vehicle, clearing the road. The truck slowly came to a stop and a worker stepped out to come knock on his window, inquiring if he was okay. The man was helpful and kind, directing him along the route that they’d just cleared, telling him to be safe on his way back. Exchanging holiday greetings, Nichkhun was finally on his way back home, thanks to the emergency workers.

Pulling into his driveway, his lights caught the snow and he saw a dark figure moving off his porch, almost running across his yard. He stepped out his car, hoping that he saw wrong, but he called out anyways. “Hey!”

The figure stopped and slowly turning around, now moving towards him. Nichkhun scrambled for his keys, pulling them out of the ignition and holding them up as a sort of weapon. It was Christmas Eve, did he really have to go through all of this just to have a nice quiet Christmas.

The figure moved a little faster now and as it closed in on him, he screwed his eyes shut. He’d put up with enough for tonight, if he was going to be stabbed on Christmas Eve, so be it. He’d given up.

But he was not stabbed, he wasn’t even hit, he was simply...embraced. Long, strong arms closed around him and hugged him tight. He felt a cold nose touch his cheekbone and Chansung’s warm voice murmured in his ear. “Merry Christmas.”

Nichkhun melted slightly into the younger male’s arms and he couldn’t stop himself from burying his nose into the scarf that was secured around Chansung’s neck. He was laughing now, almost hysterically, much to Chansung’s concern.

He reached around and grabbed one of the gloved hands that held him in place, he squeezed it and pulled his neighbor towards his house. He was talking hurriedly, explaining what all had happened, getting trapped at the side of the highway and having to be directed home by road workers, coming home and thinking that Chansung was some kind of serial killer who was going to shiv Nichkhun on Christmas Eve. He rambled through all of this, Chansung trying to keep up as they discarded their coats and boots in the doorway of Nichkhun’s home.

Leaving his scarf on, Chansung was dressed in a cozy grey sweater and dark skinny jeans, his face was flushed, but his hair was done up, out of his face. He looked good and Nichkhun took quick notice of it as he beckoned him farther into his home. “It’s Christmas Eve, why aren’t you with family?” he asked, going to make a pot of coffee.

Chansung shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet a bit. “Sorry, I don’t mean to intrude, I can-”

“No!” Nichkhun cut him off. “It’s okay. I don’t mind a bit of company. Although,” he frowned thoughtfully. “What  _ were  _ you doing on my porch?”

“Uh,” Chansung suddenly looked embarrassed. “I...was dropping off something,” he shuffled back to the foyer, before Nichkhun could say anything else. The sound of his coat rustling was followed by his footsteps returning, a small package was clutched in his hands and he gave a shy smile to Nichkhun before setting it down on the table.

Nichkhun couldn’t help the smile that appeared as he walked over to look at the little package. “Can I open it now?” he asked, excited when Chansung nodded. He carefully pulled the wrapping paper off, it was poorly put on in the first place, so removing it wasn’t difficult. He turned the small box around in his hands before unfolding the top and peering inside. He felt his heart swell with warmth by the two items he found inside.

One was a small stone amulet, an image of a seated figure on top a three leveled throne was pressed into the stone and Nichkhun turned it over in his hands, feeling the soft leather band that was strung through the amulet. It was beautiful. “A Phra Somdej,” Nichkhun said, fixing Chansung with a delighted grin. “I didn’t know you were into the Thai Buddhist culture.”

“I’m...not, really. But my mom has a friend who is, and she said that the Phra Somdej is supposed to bring peace and it’s supposed to strengthen-”

“Relationships,” Nichkhun cut him off, looking at him with wide eyes.

“I...wanted to strengthen our relationship,” Chansung muttered, thoroughly flushed now.

His words brought Nichkhun to the next item in the box. It was a small golden key, which he thumbed the edge of carefully, squinting at Chansung. “And this is...?”

“In case I get locked out again,” came the soft reply, as Chansung suddenly became very interested in his feet, eyes fixed to the ground as he rubbed his feet together, as if they were cold. “Neighbors should be able to rely on each other, you know, just in case.”

Nichkhun couldn’t help but laugh and he walked up to Chansung, staring up into his eyes, having to tilt his head back a little bit due to the height difference. “You can always rely on me,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around Chansung’s middle. He didn’t have the heart to tell Chansung that he didn’t really believe in the amulets, but he appreciated the gesture and he secretly found himself believing that this one would do exactly what it was said to.

They spent the rest of the night sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, talking and laughing. It was comfortable and left Nichkhun full of warm fuzzies. Before long, the two fell asleep on each other and they stayed like that until late into the next morning. Nichkhun blinked awake, his neck aching and he rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the pain. He looked next to him and smiled softly.

Chansung was fast asleep, his cheek squished against his arm, which was thrown across the back of the couch. He looked peaceful and oh so soft, it made Nichkhun want to reach out and touch him, but he let him be and carefully climbed to his feet.

Christmas morning and no food to be found in the entire house, how frustrating. As Nichkhun dug through his cabinets, he was suddenly aware of the person standing in his kitchen. A bleary, messy hair Chansung was leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, watching with a bemused expression as he observed Nichkhun’s hungry panic.

“I don’t really...have any food,” the older man muttered, embarrassed. 

“I’ll be right back,” Chansung laughed.

Hearing him leave the house, Nichkhun walked to the living room and peered out of the window to watch him cross their snow covered yards, having left his coat inside and just tromping through the snow in his boots. He was stubbornly stoic and it made Nichkhun giggle.

When he returned, he had a pan that was wrapped in foil and he had a grocery bag hanging on his arm. Snow was trapped in his thick hair and his nose was bright pink. “You should’ve put a coat on,” Nichkhun half scolded, half laughed, before ushering him in and helping him take the food to the kitchen.

“You really didn’t have to,” Nichkhun said, looking now at what appeared to be some sort of orange noodles, a plastic container of kimchi and a paper wrapped package of meat. “I should have something in the freezer.”

Chansung shook his head with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I always make too much food around the holidays anyways. Can I use your stove and...do you have a grill?”

Together they worked to put the - apparently sweet potato noodles - which were called Japchae, on the stove, they cut up the kimchi to be served separate and Chansung got set on grilling the meat. It was quiet and perfect. As they worked around each other in the kitchen, Nichkhun was reminded of all the times he’d watched Taecyeon and Minjun do the same thing and how it had always made his heart ache. He quickly found himself swelling with happiness as he kept working. He washed up enough dishes for the two of them and by the time the food was done, they were both quite hungry.

“I also brought sweet buns, my mom made them,” Chansung said, reaching back into the bag to pull out yet another paper wrapped package. He was very old fashioned in a really cute way, Nichkhun warmed at the thought.

They filled their plates and Nichkhun gestured to the living room, “I always eat in there, don’t worry about the table,” he said, carrying their dishes in and setting them on the coffee table in the center of the living room.

As they ate, they talked - it seemed they may never run out of things to talk about - and Nichkhun found himself slowly getting distracted watching Chansung. There was something strangely charming about the way he talked and the way his hands expressed his words, he seemed so serious. Currently he was talking about his preschool students and his love for children was so present in the way he talked and it made Nichkhun get lost in his voice.

When Nichkhun realized that he’d stopped talking, he was suddenly alert, he made an inquisitive noise as Chansung stared intensely at him, silent. He noticed how close they were, a little too close and yet not close enough. He could feel Chansung’s breath on his skin, it was warm and enticing. Chansung’s body was inching closer to Nichkhun’s and he would have claimed his lips right then and there, if it wasn’t for the awkward squeak that came from the leather of the couch. Nichkhun snorted and then covered his mouth embarrassed as Chansung started laughing, loud and rich in the air.

“I’ll clear these, real quick,” Nichkhun said, grabbing their dishes and rushing to the kitchen, his face red as he scolded himself for buying that  _ damn _ couch. “Who needs a leather couch anyways? Why did you think it was a good fit? Why couldn’t you have bought the black one, like Minjun suggested?” he muttered under his breath.

As he set the plates in the sink and ran a hand through his hair, he suddenly felt the presence at the back of his neck. Soft lips pressed to his nape, before strong arms wrapped around him from behind, pressing his body into a firmer, taller one. Nichkhun relaxed into the grip, as if all of his worries were washed away, he found himself slowly melting into the arms. Hot breath was against his ear, followed by lips that nibbled at his lobe.

“Chansung,” he breathed, reaching a hand around to card through the taller man’s hair. The embrace turned from a hug into something much more passionate as one of Chansung’s hand began to roam across Nichkhun’s chest, the other hand going down to press into his hip.

Slowly turning Nichkhun around, Chansung pressed him up against the counter, pinning his body with his hips. Since when did his entire body become rock solid? Nichkhun wondered, finding no reason to complain. His hands returned to Chansung’s hair and they locked eyes, their gazes holding for several long seconds, before they finally kissed.

Their lips fit perfectly together, Chansung’s lips were impossibly soft and Nichkhun’s were chewed, but they slid across the other’s with ease. At first it was sweet, but it quickly grew into something more as Chansung prodded Nichkhun’s mouth open with his tongue and slid it inside, earning a soft sound from the back of Nichkhun’s throat.

His hands moved down to the shorter man’s hips and he lifted him up and slid his butt back onto the counter, helping Chansung’s height so that they were now level. They clung to each other, their mouths locked in a fierce battle of dominance, as Nichkhun’s fingers pulled at Chansung’s hair.

The sound Chansung made was obscene and left Nichkhun breathless. The kitchen cabinet was digging into his back, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Chansung’s lips and his hands, that were roaming Nichkhun’s hips and thighs. Nichkhun scooted forward a little bit to press closer to the man, but he wasn’t in a position to move much and Chansung took notice.

Nichkhun let out a disappointed groan when Chansung stepped away, but he allowed him to help him down and pull him back to the living room. He pushed Nichkhun onto the couch, crowding his body with his own, trapping the older’s waist between his knees. Hands on either side of his head, he resumed kissing Nichkhun, much to the latter’s delight.

Just as Nichkhun’s hands were sliding under Chansung’s sweater, his own shirt unbuttoned halfway, they were interrupted by a knock at the door, making them both jump. Chansung climbed off of Nichkhun and approached the door, he peeked through the small window in the center of the door and then opened it with a smirk.

“Can I help you?” he asked, hair still mussed and his sweater was ridden up, it was quite obvious what he had been previously doing.

A gasp, followed by Minjun practically shoving the tall man over, Nichkhun’s best friend marched into the room to see Nichkhun quickly buttoning his shirt back up. A baffled, but otherwise grinning Taecyeon followed behind.

“Khunnie!” Minjun shouted, walking over to whap his friend upside the head. “You didn’t even introduce him before trying to eat his face off. And it’s Christmas!”

Chansung watched the two incomers harass Nichkhun, before Minjun and Taecyeon turned to introduce themselves as Nichkhun stared at the ground, embarrassed. Apparently Taecyeon had made too much dessert and assuming that he’d be spending Christmas alone, as he usually did, they brought it over to share with Nichkhun.

The rest of the evening was filled loud conversation as Minjun and Chansung got on a little too well, and Taecyeon and Nichkhun - the quieter ones - simply watched with amusement and drank their coffee. Eventually the idea of games was produced and Taecyeon began insisting on noraebang, practically begging everyone to go. They all agreed and piled into Minjun’s new car (a Christmas present from his mother and Taec apparently) and they all drove to a noraebang.

It was a good Christmas. And it was also a good beginning, to many things. Nichkhun felt his breath catch in his throat as the thought struck him that Chansung was apart of this now, he was apart of the odd little misfit group that Nichkhun called family and he was apart of Nichkhun’s life, there was no taking it back. And Nichkhun wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
